How did Gregory I protect Rome from attacks by the Lombards?

To protect Rome from the Lombards, Pope Gregory I (reigned 590–604) was forced to orchestrate an independent policy, as he could neither defeat the invaders militarily nor rely on consistent support from the Byzantine Empire.12

Gregory’s efforts to safeguard the city included the following strategies:

• Diplomacy and Ransom: Gregory acted as the paymaster of the Lombards, using church funds to pay daily ransoms to hold back their swords. Through these efforts, he successfully prevented Rome from being sacked by the Lombards on two occasions.1
• Administrative Leadership: He took on the role of Rome’s treasurer, funding soldiers, planning defensive strategies, and managing the city's essential resources, including securing the grain supply and repairing aqueducts.1
• Rapprochement: Realizing that a cycle of warfare and ransom was unsustainable, Gregory sought peace. He cultivated a relationship with Theodelinda, the Catholic wife of the Lombard king Agilulf. This connection helped improve relations between Lombard and Roman Italy after 600, demonstrating that friendship and patronage could achieve what military strategy could not.13

Through these multifaceted efforts, Gregory managed to protect Rome and navigate the complex political tensions of the era.12